Amalgamator.



No. 821,108. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

A. G. MAGDONELL. AMALGAMATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED FBB..27. 1903.

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PATENTED'MAY 22, 1906.

A. G. MAGDONBLL.

AMALGAMATOR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1903.

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PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

A. G. MAODONBLL.

AMALGAMATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27. 1903.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed February 27. 1903. Serial No. 145,430.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLAN G. MAODONELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chevy Chase, in the county of Montgomery and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amalgamators, of which thefollo'wing is a specification.

This invention is an amalgamator which is constructed to treat a large volume of water carrying free gold in suspension and to present for the purpose of retaining such gold the maximum area of amalgamated surface.

The construction of the device is such that great capacity is combined with a ready accessibility of the several parts for the purpose of substitution and repair and also for the purpose of recovering the deposited or adhe ent gold. 1

It is well known that a considerable proportion of the gold which is carried in the sludge, pulp, or gold-bearing water resulting from ordinary mining operations exists in a state of minute subdivision and that such gold is largely lost in ordinary mining practice. Its recovery necessitates an apparatus of great capacity in order that the movement of the suspended gold particles therethrough may be sufficiently slow to afford ample time for their deposition. The construction of the apparatus and the arrangement of the amalgamated surfaces therein must be such as to afford an opportunity for every particle of gold to be caught and retained by surfaces adapted for that purpose. The several parts must be so assembled as to facilitate the op eration of cleaning up to recover the precious metal, and the amalgamated surfaces must be kept clean and free from sediment. These and other advantages, which will be clear from the following description, are secured by the construction hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein like parts are indicated by the same reference characters, Figure 1 is a plan view of my amalgamator, showing the same partly in section upon two horizontal planes. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the-same, partly in vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the apparatus upon an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a detail showing the method of mounting the disks upon the shaft. I Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the amalgamator, partly in vertical transverse section. Fig. 5 is a perspective metal.

View of a portion of the front plate of the screw, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the trays for containing mercury.

Referring to the figures, reference-numeral 1 represents an amalgamating tank or vat, preferably constructed of large size and conveniently built up of plates of iron or steel suitably secured by riveting. The tank is indicated as rectangular in form and is provided with front and rear plates 2 3, also of Interiorly the tank is divided by a series of horizontal partitions 4 into a num ber of superposed communicating compartments, as shown. Said partitions 4 do not extend the entire length of the tank, but are arranged to provide alternately at opposite ends openings 6, whereby material entering the tank through the uppermost compartment and flowing therethrough is directed in a tortuous or zigzag path through the several compartments, being discharged finally from the lowermost. Said horizontal partitions 4 are preferably supported. at suitable intervals by upright columns 5. These columns serve also as supports for guides 7, which are preferably formed of angle-iron, as indicated in Fig. 3, and extend the entire length of the tank. Upon these guides 7 are slidably supported a plurality of rectangular frames 18, said frames serving to support, as most clearly indicated in Figs. 3 and 6, a series of horizontal shafts 19. Said shafts 19 are conveniently arranged in recesses in the frames, as shown in Fig. 6, and are readily removable therefrom. Each shaft 19 carries near one end a gear 21, said gear being constructed to enmesh with a screw or worm 22, which passes lengthwise of the'tank and is arranged to be driven by suitable pinions 23 exterior thereto.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that each. horizontal compartment carries a plurality of rectangular frames 18, indicated as nine in number. As shown, said frames have a length somewhat in excess of their breadth and are of such size that three frames may be inserted in each compartment of the tank in the direction of its greatest dimension and three also in the direction of its width. It will thus be clear that each series of three frames occupying the length of the tank is driven by a single screw 22 and that a screw IIO the several floors or partitions 4 above men- .18, whereby an equal number of trays and signed to contain mercury, and they are preftion of the gold-bearing liquid passing through tray is preferably divided, as shown, by

tremely-shallow body of mercury, even 22 is provided for each longitudinal series of frames in each compartment.

Mounted upon each transverse shaft 19 is a series of disks 20, which may be of copper, silvered and amalgamated. As will be evident from Figs. 1 and 2, said disks are of such size that those upon each transverse shaft intermesh with those upon the adjacent. shafts. The disks are spaced apart by washers 21, as shown in Fig. 3 the spac- 'ing being suflicient only to allow them to intermesh, as shown, without actual contact. A plurality of shallow metal trays 15, as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 7 are mounted, preferably, upon roller-guides 15 upon tioned. Said trays 15 are conveniently made of. a size corresponding to that of the frames frames will be mounted in each compartment of the anialgamator. These trays 15 are deerably so placed with relation to the disks 20 that the latter revolve in contact with the body of mercury in the tray, whereby a thorough and efficient amalgamation of the disks is secured at all times. The trays possess the additional function of exposing to the acthe amalgamator a large amalgamating-surface in position to retain any particles of gold brought into contact with it. Each very shallow partitions 16 into a series of rectangular pockets 17, the purpose of the latter being to insure an even distribution of an exthough a rigidlyhorizontal position of the trays is not maintained at all times.

In order to more thoroughly amalgamate the disks and to secure a better distribution over their surface of the mercury carried upward by them from the trays 15, it is advisable to provide the peripheries of said disks with a series of shallow pockets or indentations, as indicated in Figs. 3, 6.

It is essential to the maintenance of the full efliciency of the amalgamating-surfaces that they be kept as free as possible from deposited sediment. To this end I preferably provide a series of horizontal perforated pipes 25, extending transversely of the tank and removably connected with a common source 24 of water under considerable pres sure. I preferably arrange one such pipe 25 adjacent to the ends of each transverse series of trays 15, and the perforations in said pipes are so placed that jets of water may be directed toward or across the surface of the mercury in the several trays in the direction of the flow of the main body of gold-bearing liquid. This arrangement is clearly indicated in Fig. 2, where the perforations in the pipe 25 next adjacent the inlet-opening 8 are shown as directed toward the rear of thel tank. In the next lower compartment, however, the perforations are arranged to direct a jet toward the front of the tank. The jets are thus directed in opposite directions in successive compartments. These transverse pipes 25 preferably extend through a capplate 27 on one side of the tank and may be provided with a square head or nut 28, as indicated in Fig. 1. This construction permits them to be unscrewed from the longitudinal pipes and to be quickly removed from the tank.

For the purpose of providing additional amalgamating-surface I prefer to sheath the sides, top, and ends of the tank interiorly with amalgamated copper plates, (indicated in the drawings by the reference-numerals 12 13 14.) Preferably the lower surface of each partition 4 is so sheathed. It results from this construction that the goldbearing liquid flows through a winding or tortuous passage, the walls of which are constructed of removable amalgamated plates and its bottom covered with a shallowbody of mercury. Within this conduit arearranged a large number of supplemental amalgamating-surfacesthat is to say, the disks 20. It will readily be seen that by this arrangement the extent of amalgamated surface is very greatly increased.

It is desirable that the inlet for the goldbearing liquid and the outlet for the same should be so formed as to distribute the flow as evenly as possible over the entire breadth of each compartment. To this end the inlet is formed as shown at 8 in Figs. 2, 3, 4, the inlet-pipe leading into a transverse flaring hood extendingthe entire width of the apparatus. The outlet is-similarly formed, but is provided with a gate-valve 10, through which any sediment may be discharged from time to time. The said outlet is preferably provided with a valve, as shown, whereby the area may be somewhat contracted as compared with the inlet, whereby it results that the tank is at all times maintained full of the moving body of gold-bearing liquid and every portion of the amalgamated surface thereby rendered available. This result might also be obtained by directing the out let-pipe upwardly from the outlet 9, as indicated in Figs. 2, 4.

The front and rear plates 2 3 are preferably hinged or otherwise removably secured to the body of the tank for the purpose of facilitating the operation of cleaning up more fully hereinafter described.

In the operation of my device a continuous flow of liquid, as water bearing gold in sus pension, is admitted through the inlet 8, passed over and between the several amalgamated surfaces hereinbefore described, and is discharged through the-outlet 9. During this passage of the gold-bearing liquid the particles of fine gold carried in suspension therein are caught and retained by the ama1- gamated surfaces and by the mercury in the usual manner.

For the recovery of adherent gold it is nec essary to remove the several amalgamated plates. This is conveniently effected by lowering or removing the rear plate 3, thus affording access to the interior of the tank. The amalgamated plates and disks may be removed therefrom in any desired manner, it being understood that the several frames 18, together with the disks supported by them, are removed individually. In the particular construction illustrated it is necessary to remove each of these frames, together with its corresponding tray, as will be readily understood.

I have illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 a device designed to facilitate the removal of the several amalgamated surfaces. This device comprises, essentially, a slotted yoke 27, which may be slipped over the anterior flanges of the side plates in the manner indicated in Fig. 5. Said slotted yoke carries a nut 28, which is constructed, as shown, to slide freely in the slot. Through said nut 28 passes a screw 29, to which a hand-wheel 30 may be attached. This device may be employed as follows: The front plate 2 is removed and the yoke placed in position opposite the frame, tray, amalgamated plate, or other surface which it is desired to remove from the tank. By rotating the hand-wheel the screw 29 is caused to exert a pressure upon the unit which it is desired at the time to remove, thus moving the same longitudinally of the tank. When the limit of movement of the screw is reached, it is retracted and a block or bar in serted between the end of the screw and the unit to be removed. The screw may then be moved forward again and the operation repeated until the unit is in position to be easily removed from the rear of the tank.

In practice it is necessary that the amalgamating-surfaces adjacent the inletopen ingthat is to say, in the uppermost compartment of the tank-be removed oftener than the others. In order to provide for the removal of the particular units without lowering or removing the front plate of the tank, I may provide said front plate with a series of horizontal slots 1 1, each of which is normally closed by a corresponding valve or flap 26. The yoke 27 may be mounted upon one of these slots and the screw 29 moved through the latter and into contact with the particular unit to be removed. The screw is indicated in Figs. 5 and 6 in this relation, extending through the slot. In Fig. 6 the screw is indicated in position to force one of the frames 18, together with the amalgamated disks supported thereby, toward the rear of the tank. Said frames 18 being mounted upon horizontal uides 7, as above described, are readily rem oved, and the trays 15 are simultaneously removed by the engagement of their trans verse partitions with the amalgamated disks, or any suitable rigid connection may be temporarily established between the frames 18 and the corresponding trays 15.

I claim 1. An amalgamator comprising a substantially closed tank, partitions therein arranged to afford a tortuous passage through the tank, removable plates having amalgamated surfaces which completely inclose said passage, vertical disks arranged in said passage parallel with the direction of flow of the liquid passing therethrough, and means for imparting motion to said disks, as set forth.

2. An amalgamator comprising a substan tially closed tank, partitions therein arranged to afford a tank, and a plurality of series of intermeshing amalgamated disks in said tank, as set forth.

3. An amalgamator comprising a substantially closed tank, partitions therein arranged to afiord a tortuous passage through the tank, a plurality of series of intermeshing amalgamated disks in said tank, and means for revolving said disks, as set forth.

4. An amalgamator comprising a substan tially closed tank, partitions therein arranged to afford a tortuous passage through the tank, removable plates having amalgamated surfaces which completely inclose said passage, intermediate vertical amalgamated plates arranged in said passage parallel with the direction of flow of the liquid passing therethrough, said plates mounted in remov able frames, as set forth.

5. An amalgamator comprising a conduit, an inlet and an outlet therefor, and a series of intermeshing revoluble amalgamated disks mounted upon parallel aXes in said conduit, as set forth.

6. An amalgamator comprising a conduit, an inlet and an outlet therefor, a series of intermeshing revoluble amalgamated disks, mounted upon parallel aXes in said conduit, and a shallow tray beneath said disks, as set forth.

7. An amalgamator comprising a conduit, a series of intermeshing revoluble amalgamated disks mounted upon parallel axes in said conduit, a tray beneath said disks, and partitions in said tray, as set forth.

8. An amalgamator comprising a substantially closed tank, amalgamated surfaces therein, a removable end plate, and a device cooperating with said amalgamated surfaces to move them longitudinally of the tank, as set forth.

9. An amalgamator comprising a substantially closed tank, amalgamated surfaces therein, a removable end plate, a slotted end plate, and a device cooperating with said amalgamated surfaces and slotted plate to tortuous passage through the I IIO nally of the tank, as set forth.

10. In an amalgamator, a shallow tray for containing mercury, partitions arranged therein at an angle to each other, whereby an even distribution of the mercury over the 5 bottom of the tray is secured and amalgamated disks revoluble incontact with said mercury, as set forth,

ALLAN G. MACDONELL.

Witnesses:

HARRY C, R033, 0. A. NEALE. 

